A joint meeting was held between the NIST Polymer Blends and Processing Group and ERATO. The purpose of the conference was to review progress made by the NIST and ERATO groups in experimental and theoretical aspects of phase separation in polymer blends and on methods for the control of blend and block copolymer phase separation morphologies through applied fields (flow, electric) and confinement to thin films. In addition, the conference focused on developments in the areas of polyelectrolyte solutions, gels, colloid solutions, and filler or additives (particulates, block copolymers, dendrimers) which reflect the broadening range of mutiphase polymer materials under investigation by the NIST-ERATO groups. Distinguished academic researchers from the United States and Japan in the fields of light scattering, polymer blends, polyelectrolyte, and surface science also contributed talks and participated in the discussion of promising areas for future research.